Electric Scooters are a grey area - Legal in places but default not legal in others due to a lack of specific regulation
As of 2026 Mississippi remains one of the few states without a dedicated statewide statute for electric scooters.
Because the state legislature has not passed a specific micromobility act, these devices continue to fall under the jurisdiction of the Mississippi Department of Revenue (DOR) and local municipal authorities.
State-level classification and definition
Under the current Mississippi Department of Revenue guidelines, stand-up electric scooters are typically categorized as Motorized Scooters or Toy Vehicles.
Toy Vehicles: If a device does not meet federal safety standards for road vehicles, it is classified as a toy vehicle. These cannot be titled or registered and are technically prohibited from all public roads unless a specific city ordinance says otherwise.
Motorized Scooters: For vehicles like the Bo Model M, the state allows for voluntary titling, but it does not issue license plates.
Licensing and registration
License: There is no state-wide requirement for a driver's license or motorcycle endorsement to operate a stand-up electric scooter.
Registration: Because they are not classified as motor vehicles, e-scooters are exempt from state registration and insurance mandates.
Property Tax: In 2025, the state maintained that these devices are not subject to the ad valorem taxes typically applied to cars and motorcycles.
Operational rules and permitted areas
Because there is no state law, riding rules are determined entirely by the City Council or Board of Supervisors in your specific area.
Roadways: In most jurisdictions, riding on high-speed highways is strictly prohibited. Use is generally limited to residential streets with speed limits of 25 mph or less.
Sidewalks: Most Mississippi cities do not have a formal ban on sidewalk riding for e-scooters, though riders are expected to yield to pedestrians.
University Campuses: Schools like Mississippi State University (MSU) and Ole Miss have enacted strict 2025/2026 policies. At MSU, scooters are prohibited from sidewalks and plazas and must be ridden in bike lanes or travel lanes.
Technical equipment and safety
While state law is silent, standard safety expectations for motorized devices in Mississippi include:
Night Lighting: A front white light and rear red reflector are necessary for any operation after dark.
Brakes: The device must have a braking system capable of stopping safely on paved surfaces.
Helmets: There is no state-wide helmet mandate for adults or minors, though local municipalities (like Oxford) strongly recommend them.
Mississippi E-Scooter Legality by City 2026
Since there is no state-wide regulation in Mississippi it becomes important to pay especially close attention to local regulations. Local ordinances are the relevant source of law for Mississippi riders.
As such, this is a list of the recent (2026) regulatory situation city by city:
| City Location | Status | Key Local Regulation |
| Jackson | Legal | Permitted in bike lanes and streets, must stay under 15 mph. |
| Oxford | Legal (Restricted) | Strictly prohibited on sidewalks in the downtown Square. |
| Biloxi | Restricted | Prohibited south of Highway 90; 4-wheeled LSVs are favoured over 2-wheelers. |
| Meridian | Legal | Permitted on paths and parks if speed is reasonable and prudent. |
| Hattiesburg | Legal | Follows standard bicycle rules; use of Longleaf Trace is permitted. |
| Starkville (City) | Legal | Generally treated like bicycles on local streets. |
| MSU Campus | Restricted | Banned from sidewalks and pedestrian plazas: must use bike lanes. |
| Ole Miss Campus | Restricted | Strictly regulated parking zones: sidewalk riding is prohibited. |
| Gulfport | Restricted | Same as Biloxi; generally illegal on major beach thoroughfares. |
| Tupelo | Gray Area, default not legal | No specific ordinance, due to state regs technically treated as Toy Vehicles on public roads. |
| Southaven | Gray Area, default not legal | Follows DeSoto County defaults: technically illegal on main roads. |
| Clinton | Legal | Permitted on local roads and designated paths near MC campus. |
Disclaimer: Bo USA Inc. endeavours to keep these documents up to date and relevant, however does not in any manner guarantee the accuracy of the included findings regarding electric scooter laws in the United States. Always carry out secondary research to validate any statement - and refer directly to the relevant authority before presuming accuracy.
Electric scooter riders or those considering to purchase or begin riding electric scooters should refer to their local governments to obtain the most up-to-date information on the applicable, local legal standing of scooters.
The Bo Model-M: Since the electric scooter is legal in Mississippi, it is worth investing in a vehicle that is going to have a real integrity and quality to its manufacture. This means it will bring you pleasure every time you use it.
To that end, it is interesting to know that Bo is the only electric scooter designed and engineered by a team of real car guys. Where the rest of the scooter industry took plasticky toys and ruggedised them, we started with a blank sheet of paper to develop the best vehicle in the world for local journeys.
Of course, you can only really feel the benefit of that when you ride it for yourself; that is why we give an extraordinary 60 day return policy and have a customer response team full of the engineers who made it. When you contact Bo, you're going straight to the source.
Visit the Model M page - click here
Learn more about how we made the 'M' - click here
Go watch a Youtube about the Model-M - click here
Return to the State-by-State regulation page - click here
